Despite China's rising power and wealth, it may not be willing or ready to play a responsible role in an international system aimed at encouraging peace and stability, a U.S. congressional commission said in report released on Monday. The report, obtained by Reuters, concluded that China's adherence to its World Trade Organization obligations remains "spotty and halting" five years after it attained membership and its commitment to its geopolitical responsibilities "is even more in question." "China's continuing record of proliferation, including its indulgence of North Korea's nuclear and missile programs and its involvement in Iran's programs, is deeply destabilizing," said the report by the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission. "And China's apparent willingness to value its own energy needs above the needs of international security is indicative of a nation as yet unprepared or unwilling to shoulder the burdens of a stakeholder state,"... http://news.yahoo.com

A surge in violence made St. Louis the most dangerous city in the country, leading a trend of violent crimes rising much faster in the Midwest than in the rest of nation, according to an annual list.The city has long fared poorly in the rankings of the safest and most dangerous American cities compiled by Morgan Quitno Press. Violent crime surged nearly 20 percent in St. Louis from 2004 to last year, when the rate of such crimes rose most dramatically in the Midwest, according to FBI figures released in June."It's just sad the way this city is," resident Sam Dawson said. "On the news you hear killings, someone's been shot."The ranking, being released Monday, came as the city was still celebrating Friday's World Series victory at the new Busch Stadium. St. Louis has been spending millions of dollars on urban renewal even as the crime rate climbs.Mayor Francis Slay did not return calls to his office seeking comment Sunday....http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/10/30/city.crime.ap/index.html?eref=rss_us

At least 80 people were killed or found dead across Iraq on Monday, including 33 who were killed in a bomb attack in the Shiite neighborhood of Sadr City in Baghdad. The U.S. military said a Marine was killed in combat in Anbar province.In an unannounced visit to Baghdad, U.S. National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley met with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and his Iraqi counterpart to discuss military and political coordination.A government official said Hadley was accompanied in the talks by U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad."This is a long planned trip to get a first hand report of the situation on the ground from the political, economic and security fronts," said Gordon Johndroe, spokesman for the National Security Council in Washington....http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,226156,00.html

One of Chad's top army officers has been killed in fighting with rebels in a battle near Chad's border with Sudan. Gen Moussa Seugui died after being shot in the shoulder in the south-eastern town of Hadjer Meram, Defence Minister Bichara Issa told the BBC. The general was taken to hospital but doctors were unable to save him. Mr Issa said the army had lost four of its men and claimed 100 rebels had been killed although there is no independent confirmation of the figures. The BBC's Stephanie Hancock in Chad has been told by military sources that casualties from the fighting were extremely heavy and the actual number may be far higher. The fighting is part of a week-long offensive by rebels of the recently-formed Union for the Forces of Development and Democracy. ...http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6098306.stm

The son of Indonesia's former President Suharto has been freed from jail on conditional release after serving only four years of a murder sentence. Hutomo Mandala Putra, also known as Tommy, was given a 15-year sentence in 2002 following his conviction for ordering the killing of a judge. His sentence was first cut to 10 years, and then reduced further. Human rights activists and anti-corruption campaigners have voiced strong opposition to his release Scuffles broke out as he was driven from the prison in east Jakarta. His van was surrounded by dozens of reporters and photographers as he left for the prosecutor's office, where his release was made official. ...http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6098010.stm

Howling winds slicing across the Northeast over the weekend tore into trees and power lines, leaving thousands of customers still without power Monday. The storm contributed to at least two deaths and hampered the search for a man who fell off a cruise ship.More than 100,000 utility customers throughout the region, including 44,000 in Maine and 38,000 in upstate New York, lost power when winds gusted up as high as 79 mph."The leaves are coming off the trees and the voting signs are on the ground," said Dawn Banks, a resident of Mattydale in Onondaga County. The Halloween headstones on her lawn, each weighing between 10 to 15 pounds, were "blowing about pretty good," Banks said. Electricity was largely restored in many areas by Monday morning, but in Maine more than 23,000 homes and businesses were still without power. Around 9,000 customers still lacked power in upstate New York and at least 3,000 in New Hampshire....http://www.cnn.com/2006/WEATHER/10/30/windstorm.ap/index.html?eref=rss_us